Low vision

Always seek professional advice – make sure your vision is in safe hands

Dispensing opticians understand the problems faced by visually impaired people and can advise on the different types of assistance required for different people. Low vision services are available within specialist optical practices, or at hospital low vision clinics.

If you have been recently diagnosed with low vision, or even if you have been a low vision patient for some time, there are many services available nationwide to help you make the best of your vision, whether you need help at work, at college, for hobbies, or simply want to be able to read a newspaper again. There are many different types of devices to help you and these are known as low vision aids (LVAs). LVAs include magnifiers, large print books and newspapers, tinted lenses, special lamps, walking aids, telescopes and spectacle mounted aids.

There are different professional groups of people who can offer help, including opticians, social workers and rehabilitation officers but the supply of some of the more complex types of low vision aids, such as spectacle mounted aids and telescopes, is restricted to opticians registered with the General Optical Council. All dispensing opticians are in this category; however there are specialist Low Vision Opticians (LVOs) who have attained the FBDO (Hons) LVA qualification.